


Top Shelf

by Woody7066



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Canon-Based, One Shot, Season 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2019-02-14 11:01:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13006389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Woody7066/pseuds/Woody7066
Summary: Nicole turned left into a parking lot. When she saw the sign, she was incredulous. “You cannot be serious.” She looked over at Wynonna. "Waverly will kill me.""I won't tell if you won't.” Wynonna gave her a sly smile. “Besides, I figured this is your kind of place."Nicole rolled her eyes and drove around to the back of the building. They walked back around to the front, but Nicole stopped short of the door. Wynonna looked back and saw Nicole’s hesitation. "If you're hanging with me today, Haught, this glitter-and-sin den is where I’ll be. You in or out?"Nicole gave Wynonna an exasperated look.The things I do for Waverly.She reluctantly followed Wynonna inside.Or:A one-shot of WynHaught scenes covering some events from 2x09 until just beyond the end of the season, with a little WayHaught peppered throughout.





	Top Shelf

**Author's Note:**

> I loved writing the WynHaught BroTP stuff for the last couple chapters of my AU fic ("Whatever You'll Give Me") so much that it inspired me to finish this canon-based fic I'd been mulling over.

Wynonna shifted in her seat, apparently trying to get comfortable. The seat belt sat awkwardly across her new, larger belly. She moved the shoulder strap behind her and slouched down, putting a boot on the dash. “This your day off?” She asked.

Nicole almost said something about the boot but decided to let it go. She kept her eyes on the road. It had snowed overnight and the gravel roads out by the homestead were icy. “No, I’m off duty until I’m cleared by psych,” she replied. “The evaluator has to come in from the Big City, but she can’t make it here until Monday.”

“Psych?”

“Tucker Gardner.” Nicole said bluntly. She thought back to the confrontation with Waverly’s stalker, who had abducted the clockmaker’s daughter as a substitute for Waverly. She was still mad at herself for only clipping him in the shoulder. He had managed to escape and hadn’t been seen since. That he was still out there, lurking God-knows-where, sent a chill down her spine. “We have to do a psych eval after all officer-involved shootings. I can’t work until then.”

“That blows. If I had to take time off every time I shot someone, or something, I’d never be on duty,” Wynonna said darkly. “And my last evaluation didn’t exactly go well. Shocking, I know.”

They were silent for a couple minutes before Wynonna asked, “You ever shot someone before?”

“No,” Nicole said quietly.

Nedley had asked her the same thing.

“ _Hope you never have to do it again,” he had told her. “But that’s unlikely in this town and with the company you keep. I know it was justified in this situation, but just remember we work under different rules. We don’t shoot first and ask questions later like those BBD cowboys.”_

Nicole was brought back to the present when Wynonna barked, “Up ahead, take a right.” Nicole turned onto the highway as instructed. “We’ll be on this for a bit,” Wynonna added.

“So how are you feeling?” Nicole ventured with a sideways glance.

“My hips hurt, I have to pee constantly, and sometimes it feels like there’s a karate tournament going on in there. Other than that, just peachy.” Wynonna started fiddling with the radio. “You still tracking Tucker’s phone?”

“No signal. Either his phone died or he’s out of range,” Nicole responded bitterly.

“He could be dead too,” Wynonna suggested.

“I have a bad feeling he’s not.” They shared a grim look.

Wynonna opted for a classic rock station. They listened in silence, other than Nicole absentmindedly drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. Wynonna just stared out the window. She seemed a million miles away. After a bit, they arrived at a small town on the far outskirts of the Big City. Nicole thought they might stop somewhere along the main drag, which was filled with shops and restaurants, but Wynonna said nothing.

"You gonna tell me where we’re going?" Nicole asked, her frustration growing.

"You'll see." Wynonna replied. A few minutes later, she said, “It’s up ahead, on the left.”

Nicole turned left into a parking lot. When she saw the sign, she was incredulous. “You cannot be serious.” She looked over at Wynonna. "Waverly will kill me."

"I won't tell if you won't.” Wynonna gave her a sly smile. “Besides, I figured this is your kind of place."

Nicole rolled her eyes and drove around to the back of the building. They walked back around to the front, but Nicole stopped short of the door. Wynonna looked back and saw Nicole’s hesitation. "If you're hanging with me today, Haught, this glitter-and-sin den is where I’ll be. You in or out?"

Nicole gave Wynonna an exasperated look. _The things I do for Waverly._ She reluctantly followed Wynonna inside.

But Nicole knew this wasn’t just for Waverly. When her girlfriend called that morning, Nicole got a little excited about the idea of hanging out with Wynonna one-on-one. Nicole felt like they had been on their way to being good friends a few months ago. Of course, their dynamic had shifted when Wynonna found out Nicole was dating her sister, Wynonna’s protectiveness getting in the way of the burgeoning friendship between them. Yet Nicole saw this trip as an opportunity to be both useful to Waverly and a chance to rebuild what she had with her older sister.

Wynonna picked a spot off to the side, away from the bar. Nicole very consciously sat with her back to the stage. She couldn’t help but think of the last time she’d been to a strip club. It was years ago, with Shae, in Vegas. She didn’t remember much, drunk as she was. These thoughts reminded Nicole that she needed to call Shae again about the divorce papers.

A waitress stopped by, and Wynonna ordered a pitcher as Nicole checked her phone. Waverly had texted her to check in. Nicole decided to be as vague as possible and sent back just a thumb’s up. She hoped Waverly wouldn’t follow up.

Wynonna was fishing through her jacket. “You got any singles?” Nicole gave her an annoyed look. “What? They have a good jukebox,” Wynonna said. After the waitress dropped off their pitcher and two glasses, Wynonna poured for them both. “Remember, you’re drinking for all of us,” she said.

Nicole took a sip of her own beer, leaned back, and glanced around the room, taking in the place. It wasn’t much to see -- smoke, glitter, sweat, stale beer, and a collection of patrons that made the happy hour crowd at Shorty’s look sophisticated. She had no clue why Wynonna wanted to come here, of all places. But she wasn’t about to ask, so she kept things neutral.

“So this is Pussy Willows, huh?”

“Wrong side of the wrong side of the tracks,” Wynonna replied dryly.

xxxxx

Nicole leaned back on her cruiser, watching the sisters talking with the asshole bartender Jonas, who just so happened to be a revenant and was maybe, possibly, the father of Wynonna’s baby. It was a lot to process, and Nicole’s body wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders. She was somewhere between drunk and hungover, struggling to keep her eyes open. She made a mental note to never drink a peppermint liqueur ever again.

The sisters stood about ten meters apart, the asshole pacing between them. Wynonna had her gun drawn, but for now they were just talking, though Nicole couldn’t hear what was being said. Jonas circled around Wynonna then started walking toward Waverly. Nicole thought about pulling her gun, just in case, but Jonas stopped and turned back. Suddenly, Wynonna aimed Peacemaker, Waverly took a few steps to the side, and then Wynonna fired.

Nicole knew about Wynonna’s magic gun, but she had never actually seen it in action. She had only just started to regain consciousness when Wynonna shot the demon in the barn that fateful night. Even from afar, the sight of the earth opening up and swallowing Jonas into a fiery pit was harrowing.

_Jesus._

Waverly went over and hugged Wynonna. After a moment, they started walking back toward the car. Nicole straightened, trying to seem more sober than she felt. Waverly gave her a grim look.

“You hungry?” Wynonna asked her. “I could murder a burger and fries.”

Nicole nodded. Some greasy food was just what her burgeoning hangover ordered.

Half an hour later, they were sitting in a booth at a burger shack on the outskirts of Purgatory. Nicole scarfed down her burger and started in on her onions rings. Waverly sat next to her, picking at her fries, dipping them in a chocolate milkshake one-by-one. Wynonna ate her own burger slowly and stared out the window.

“Shit,” Nicole said after a drop of ketchup fell on her top. Waverly grabbed a napkin and helped clean it up the best she could.

“You’ve got good aim today.” Wynonna looked over and smirked. “She shot out an electrical box from at least 30 feet,” she explained to her sister, ignoring Nicole’s panicked look.

Waverly glared at Nicole. “You fired your gun? While off duty? In your condition?” Then she turned to Wynonna. “She could lose her job!”

“Well, I mean, at least it wasn’t my service weapon.” Nicole wasn’t sure if that was a question or a statement.

Wynonna jumped in. “Hey now, I didn’t know she had a gun in her boot. And she was helping me. It was a shit situation, and we got out alive, so just let us eat in peace.” Nicole was grateful for the interference, though she’d still probably hear about this later.

Waverly said nothing but looked over at Nicole, who mouthed “sorry” and went back to her onion rings. After they finished eating, Nicole rode with Wynonna in her cruiser, with Waverly following behind in her Jeep. (It was already against regulation to let Wynonna drive her car, it would be even worse if Nicole wasn’t even in it.) Nicole leaned her head against the window, enjoying the sensation of the cold glass on her forehead and watching the snowy landscape roll by.

“Where are you going?” She asked as Wynonna turned west on Elm instead of east.

“Waverly wants you at the homestead.”

“Oh right, I’m in trouble. Thanks for that.”

“I told her to go easy on you,” Wynonna replied. “You dragged me out of my shitstorm, now I’m trying to drag you out of yours.”

Still staring out the window, Nicole smiled.  
  
Back at the homestead, Waverly took Nicole directly upstairs. Normally, having Waverly undress her would be an exciting occasion, but Nicole’s hangover was settling in, leaving her too tired to enjoy it. Waverly guided Nicole to the bed and tucked her under the covers. The second she was horizontal, Nicole felt like she would fall asleep at any moment. Waverly perched on the edge of the bed and played with Nicole’s hair.

Nicole knew she needed to spit out her apology before she fell asleep. “Wave, I’m sorry about today. I was just trying to help, and then things got a little out of hand.”

“It’s fine. It’ll be fine.” Waverly brushed the hair off Nicole’s forehead. “The important thing is that you were there for her when she needed you -- when I needed you.”

Nicole leaned into Waverly’s touch and said sleepily, “I didn’t look, you know.” Waverly gave her a questioning look. “At Pussy Willows,” Nicole clarified, looking up with as serious an expression she could muster. “That’s not my thing.”

Waverly let out a little laugh. “Well I didn’t think it was.”

“You are my thing, Waverly Earp.”

Waverly leaned over and lightly brushed her lips over Nicole’s then whispered, “Am I now?”

It was almost enough to make Nicole overcome the sleep that was hovering, that she desperately needed. But she was not exactly an enticing prospect at the moment, and she knew it.

“Tomorrow?” Nicole asked hopefully. Waverly’s response would be a good indication just how much trouble she was in.

“Yes, please.” Waverly leaned in for a proper kiss, then she got up off the bed. Nicole was asleep before Waverly even reached the door.

xxxxx

Nicole woke up the next morning, curled around Waverly. By the amount of sun streaming through the curtains, Nicole knew she had slept later than normal and had a moment of panic about work. Then she remembered she was off duty for a few more days. She groaned silently at the thought.

_Monday can’t come soon enough._

As much as she didn’t want to leave the warm bed, or Waverly, Nicole desperately needed to use the bathroom, so she carefully disengaged herself. Waverly murmured but remained asleep. Suddenly exposed to the cool air, Nicole realized how little she was wearing -- just her bra and underwear -- but didn’t recall how she got that way. After putting on her jeans, Nicole looked for her top from yesterday to no avail. She decided to just sneak down to the bathroom as is.

Trying to avoid the spots on the stairs that would creak, Nicole made her way to the bathroom. She was surprised to find the door was closed, and she could hear the faucet running. Nicole started to retreat to the kitchen when the door suddenly opened and Wynonna appeared. She looked a little surprised to see Nicole up as well.

“Good to see you’re functional.”

“So to speak.” Nicole shivered. She crossed her arms, rubbing at her goosebumps. “You’re up early.”

“Having to pee every two seconds is getting in the way of my sleeping in. Miracle of life my ass.” She walked past Nicole and gestured back to the bathroom. “All yours.”

When Nicole reemerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, Wynonna was standing in the hall, holding a black sweatshirt in her hand. She tossed it at Nicole, who stabbed it out of the air.

"Figured you might need something to wear. Waverly is soaking your top from yesterday, and I’m sure you’ve noticed that Waverly’s taken a Ginsu knife to every t-shirt she owns.”

Nicole smirked and held the sweatshirt up in front of her. It was Wynonna’s “Drinks Well With Others” shirt.

Wynonna shrugged. “Seemed fitting after yesterday.”

Nicole thought that was a compliment, but sometimes you couldn’t tell with Wynonna. She pulled the sweatshirt over her her head. “Thanks.”

Wynonna nodded, then turned to head into the living room. But she did a quick about face and asked, “You said you’re off duty until Monday?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” Wynonna said vaguely and then she left.

xxxxx

Waverly came over to Nicole’s place that evening after work. Nicole had suggested a night out in the Big City, but as usual, Waverly said she preferred a home cooked meal and some snuggling on the couch. It had been weeks, but Nicole hadn’t been able to shake Wynonna’s comment (even if it was demonically inspired) about Waverly not being a white-picket-fence-in-Purgatory girl anymore. Nicole wasn’t sure that’s even what she wanted (or what she wanted Waverly to want), yet it nagged at her. But she wasn’t going to drag Waverly out against her will either.

“Smells heavenly,” Waverly said as she ladled some chili into her bowl and then did the same for Nicole.

“Hope it tastes good too. I tried a new vegetarian recipe. Made the cornbread from scratch too.” She offered the basket to Waverly, who plucked out a piece of cornbread and crumbled it over her chili. Nicole did the same before adding, “This time off is great for my culinary skills, but it's driving me a little crazy.”

“I think the Suzy Homemaker look is cute on you,” Waverly said warmly. Nicole filed that comment away in the white-picket-fence-in-Purgatory folder in her brain, to be pondered and fretted over later. “This is delicious by the way. Did you use cumin?” Waverly asked.

Nicole nodded. “So I’m hitting that new climbing gym outside the Big City tomorrow morning. It’ll be nice to get out of the house and get some exercise.”

They chatted companionably as they ate their meal, but Waverly seemed distant. As they were washing the dishes, Nicole ventured a guess at what was bothering her. “Waves, I’m sorry again about yesterday. Wynonna sprang the Pussy Willows thing on me, and then the whole revenant thing -- we had this crazy plan to get a DNA sample from him and it went sideways.”

Waverly turned and leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms. “And I told you it was fine. You did what you had to.”

Nicole put down the pan she was drying. “Okay, then is something else wrong?”

“You got any whiskey?”

“You know I do.” Nicole had been keeping a nice bottle at her house ever since they started dating. “Why don’t you head to the couch, and I’ll pour you a glass?”

Waverly retreated into the living room while Nicole pulled a glass down from the cabinet. She walked into the living room, grabbed the bottle off the credenza, and gave Waverly a generous pour. She handed the glass to Waverly before joining her on the couch.

“You’re making me drink alone?” Waverly asked.

“After the hangover I had this morning, I need some time off,” Nicole replied.

Waverly gave an understanding nod and took a sip, then leaned her head on Nicole’s shoulder. “I told Wynonna I don’t think we’re sisters, that I don’t think I’m an Earp.”

“Waves.” Nicole shifted so she could face Waverly. She could see tears welling in her girlfriend’s eyes, but Waverly wouldn’t look at her. “What did she say?” Nicole asked quietly.

Waverly’s gaze remained forward. She took another sip of her drink. “That I’m crazy, that of course I’m an Earp. But you saw what Willa said in her journal, and the way she treated me growing up . . . she _knew_.” Waverly finally looked at Nicole before adding, “The more I say it out loud the more I think it’s true. I’m not an Earp.”

A few tears streamed down Waverly’s cheeks. Nicole brushed them away with her free hand then pulled Waverly to her. They fell back onto the couch and were silent for a while. Nicole was at a loss for something reassuring to say. She knew that being an actual descendant of Wyatt Earp was important to Waverly, how much time she had spent learning the family history, how intent she was to break the curse. Yet a voice in the back of Nicole’s head always whispered “so what?” because Earp or not, Waverly was special. And it wouldn’t change the way Nicole felt about her. But the bottom line was that being an Earp mattered to Waverly so it mattered to Nicole -- that was that.

The next morning, as she drove back to Purgatory, Nicole still felt the endorphins flowing through her. Some climbing was just what she needed. After an emotionally taxing evening with Waverly, where Nicole felt that nothing she could say would help, it was nice to spend a couple hours intensely focusing on the single, achievable task -- get up the wall. Her body felt re-energized and her mind clearer. She was still high on life when she pulled into the station.

She stopped by Nedley’s office, knocking on the open door to announce her presence. “Got your voicemail, Sir. You’ve got some paperwork for me?”

“It’s a couple forms that need to be filled out. Just bring them to your evaluation on Monday. I left them in your inbox.” Nedley leaned back in his chair. “How are you doing with the time off?”

“Frankly, sir, it’s torture. I’m excited to get back to work.”

“Well I’m sure you’re finding _appropriate_ ways to blow off steam in the interim,” Nedley said with a knowing glance. Nicole tried to look innocent.

“Anyway, if you want to talk about the shooting, or anything, before Monday, you let me know. We need you back. _I_ need you back” Nedley dropped his voice to a whisper. “Lonnie is driving me crazy.”

Nicole smiled. “Thank you sir.” She went over to her desk and found the forms. Then she started rifling through the rest of her mail and saw a large white envelope from a genetic testing company. Just then, her phone buzzed. Nicole quickly stashed the forms and envelope in her bag and checked her phone. It was a text from Wynonna, a very unusual occurrence.

> **[Sent by Wynonna at 11:36 AM:]** You free for lunch?
> 
> **[Nicole:]** Yes. I’m actually at the station right now.
> 
> **[Wynonna:]** Your place would be better. Say an hour? I’ll bring tacos.
> 
> **[Nicole:]** Sure.
> 
> **[Wynonna:]** And please don’t tell Waverly.

Nicole furrowed her brow and thought about the envelope in her bag. She almost sent a quick text to Waverly but decided to wait until after this mysterious lunch with Wynonna. The euphoria from her climb was already a distant memory.

xxxxx

Wynonna arrived a little later than anticipated, but with food from El Palenque in tow. Nicole got out plates while Wynonna unpacked the food. They made small talk as they ate, but Wynonna gave no hint to why she had come all the way out to Nicole’s, alone, for lunch. Nicole’s mind raced.

_A protective-older-sister speech? An apology for the stuff she said during the possession? Questions about rock-climbing?_

After polishing off three tacos in quick succession, Wynonna wiped her mouth with her napkin, sat back, and put a foot on one of the spare chairs. “I know Professor Waverly told you all the nitty gritty details about the Earp curse.”

“Yup. Aced the quiz,” Nicole remarked. Wynonna smiled. They both knew it was entirely plausible that Waverly would have made either one of them do such a thing.

“So you know what happens if anything happens to me?”

Nicole nodded. Needing a distraction to ease the tension, she started picking at the chips and salsa.

“Now Waverly might be able to take over when she’s old enough, but we just don’t know.”

Nicole glanced over at her bag in the corner, which still contained the envelope with Waverly’s DNA results. If Waverly wasn’t an Earp, Nicole understood that Waverly definitely wouldn’t be able to take over, that Peacemaker would not work for her. It filled Nicole with a combination of relief and sadness, and she dreaded having to give the envelope to Waverly, without knowing what to expect.

Wynonna’s voice brought her back to the present. “So here’s the deal . . .”

Nicole sat in stunned silence as Wynonna explained what she was planning to do. The salsa on the chip she was holding slowly oozed down and dripped on the table.

“You are a mess with condiments, Haught,” Wynonna joked, grabbing a napkin out of the plastic bag and tossing it across the table. “I’m a little worried about that sweatshirt I loaned you.”

Nicole set down the chip and wiped up the salsa, giving her a few more seconds to process what Wynonna just told her -- that she planned to ship her baby out of the Ghost River Triangle immediately after it was born.

"It’s the only way to give this kid a chance.” Wynonna explained. “There’s no way we can keep it safe here,” Wynonna said as she absentmindedly rubbed her belly.

Nicole nodded along, still thinking. Her gut reaction was that Wynonna was right, but it was heartbreaking to think about.

“Waverly?” Nicole asked.

“She doesn’t know. _Can’t_ know.”

“Then why are you telling _me_?”

“I need your help, Peppermint Patty,” Wynonna said with a smirk.

Nicole rolled her eyes but responded seriously, “What do you need?”

“When the day comes, I need you to get the baby outside the triangle as quickly as possible.”

Nicole thought back to two days ago. “But what if . . .” She couldn’t finish the thought.

“If the baby is part revenant? If it can’t cross the line, you bring it back and we figure it out. But we have to try.”

Nicole gulped as her eyes drifted. When Waverly had told her all about the Earp curse, she’d explained what happened to a revenant that tried to leave the Triangle. She snapped back to attention and asked, “Where would I take it?”

Wynonna fished a small device out of her jacket and put it on the table. It looked like a smartphone, but sleeker. It had no logo.

“You’ll use that to make contact, and the go-between will send back a location for the rendezvous and come get the baby.”

“Who’s the --?

“Better if you don’t know. Safer for everyone.” Wynonna picked up the phone, fiddled with it, and the held it out. “Put your thumb on the screen.” Nicole did as she was told, then Wynonna handed her the phone.

“Okay, now we’re the only two that can access it. But keep it somewhere secure.”

Nicole looked at the screen. It had a keyboard and a blinking cursor and nothing else. “No Angry Birds?”

Wynonna laughed.

xxxxx

Nicole was alone in the bullpen, sitting at her desk, when Wynonna walked in. Nicole couldn’t hide her disappointment.

“Good to see you too, Haught.” Wynonna walked through the divider and back to Nicole’s desk, perching on the edge. “You still have the phone?” She asked quietly.

“I keep it locked in my desk while I’m working,” Nicole replied. “Want me to get it out?”

“Later, after I leave. I need you to confirm with our friend that everything is ready to go.”

“Will do.”

They were both silent for a moment before Wynonna said, “Dolls said you had a case for us?”

Nicole frowned. “Not exactly, well, not at all.”

Wynonna raised her eyebrows.

“I was hoping to see Waverly. She won’t call me back.”

Waverly was still mad at her about the DNA results. Nicole’s frustration and anger with herself was growing every day, as was the thought that this might not be be fixable. She didn’t know what compelled her to open the envelope, and seeing the results only made it harder to share them with Waverly. And then just as Nicole had resolved to turn them over, and beg for forgiveness, Waverly had found them herself.

Nicole felt Wynonna give her a reassuring pat on the shoulder before she hopped up off the desk and started toward the door. “Did she tell you why she’s mad at me?” Nicole asked.

“No. I just figured she caught you at Pussy Willows again.”

As upset as she was, Nicole couldn’t help but laugh.

Wynonna walked through the divider and leaned on the counter. She turned serious. “She’ll come around. If she can forgive me for all the shit I’ve done, she can forgive you too.”

_God I hope so._

xxxxx

Nicole stirred awake while it was still dark. She could feel Waverly nuzzled against her back and a hand draped over her hip. She glanced at the clock – she needed to get moving soon. Calamity Jane needed to be fed, and she wanted to get a run in before work. Behind her, Waverly let out a sigh and snuggled in a little bit closer.  
  
_Just a few more minutes._  
  
It had been less than two weeks since Waverly found the DNA results in Nicole’s purse, leading to a fight Nicole wasn’t sure they’d ever recover from. But then so much happened – she almost died from the poisonous bite of widow Mercedes, only to be saved miraculously (and not without consequence) by Waverly, Waverly found out about Shae, Shae finally signed the divorce papers, Wynonna killed the widows, but not before the demon Clootie was resurrected, and oh yeah – Wynonna had her baby only to ship it out of the Ghost River Triangle with Nicole’s help. Nicole was exhausted just thinking about it.  
  
Nicole’s life since Alice’s birth, and her sudden departure from their lives, had been less crazy, but no less busy. Nedley had been on mandatory leave due to the head injuries he suffered at the hands of widow Mercedes. Nicole had been put in charge of the Sheriff’s Department in his stead. She was also working with Dolls and Jeremy on Bulshar over lunch, when she could spare the time.

Then there was Waverly. She was so concerned about Wynonna that she refused to leave her sister alone, often going out late at night to whatever bar Wynonna wanted to visit to drink away the pain. Although she put on a brave face, Waverly was heartbroken too by the loss of her niece. Nicole woke up the other night to find Waverly sobbing in bed. Nicole simply held her until she fell asleep again, exhausted.  
  
Since Alice, Nicole had spent almost every night at the homestead, but there hadn’t been much time for the two of them to actually talk. They had barely been alone except at night and by then they were both so tired. Nicole knew they had much to discuss, and that those conversations needed to happen. But she was willing to wait.  
  
_Better get going._ Nicole carefully slid out of bed and threw on some clothes. She tiptoed out of the bedroom and used the bathroom. She returned for her bag, leaving the hall light on to provide a little illumination for her packing. After double checking that she had all her things, Nicole sat on the edge of the bed behind Waverly. She had been scolded the other day for leaving without saying goodbye, so she swept the hair off of Waverly’s cheek and gave her a light kiss.  
  
“Waves,” she whispered. “I have to go.”  
  
Waverly turned and looked up. “Okay,” she said sleepily as she reached up and put her hand on the back of Nicole’s neck. “Coming by later?”  
  
“I will if you want me to.”  
  
“I want you to.” Waverly pulled her in for a kiss. Nicole felt a familiar stir inside her. She wanted to deepen the kiss, to take Waverly in her arms, but she held back, determined not to put any pressure on Waverly.  
  
“Then I will be here,” Nicole replied. She rose from the bed and grabbed her small duffle. When she reached the door, she asked, “Should I pick up something for dinner again?”  
  
“No, but thank you. I’m planning to make a roast.” Waverly sat up on her elbows. “And you know you can bring more stuff over than will fit in that tiny bag.”  
  
Nicole shrugged. “It’s fine. I hate to clutter up your room, and I have to go home to feed Calamity Jane anyway.”  
  
“I would not mind the clutter at all, but if you’re that worried about it, I can make some room in my dresser. It’s the least I could do, seeing as though it’s my fault you’re spending so much time away from home.”  
  
Nicole smiled. “It’s no one’s fault, okay? This is where I want to me.” Waverly smiled back. “I’ll text you later,” Nicole said as she closed the door behind her.

On her way out, Nicole left the sweatshirt Wynonna had lent her a few weeks ago on the kitchen table, folded neatly, with a note on top that said “No stains, I promise. Thanks.”  


xxxxx

Nicole stood under the cascade of hot water, letting her mind and body be still for just a moment. It had been a long day of work. There had been a bad car accident out on Route 6 that required supervision for accident reconstruction; she had to mediate a petty dispute between two neighbors over the placement of a new mailbox; and she had to fix some paperwork that Lonnie had messed up. After showering and giving Calamity Jane a little love and food, she started packing her duffle bag when she remembered Waverly’s offer that morning. Nicole went to her closet and found a bigger bag and packed some additional items.  
  
Wynonna was out on the porch when Nicole arrived at the homestead. The light was already fading.

“Can you help me with something in the barn?”  
  
“Good evening to you too, Wynonna. And sure. Let me drop my things off inside and I’ll be right back out.”  
  
“That’s a pretty big bag. Why not just bring a Uhaul next time?”  
  
Nicole rolled her eyes. “A lesbian Uhaul joke? I expect better from you.”  
  
“You’re right, that’s not up to my usual standards. I’m getting rusty from all this sitting around.” Dolls had insisted that Wynonna take some time off. Unbeknownst to Wynonna, he and Jeremy (and occasionally Nicole) were working out of Jeremy’s apartment so Wynonna couldn’t just stop by the BBD office and insert herself. If they needed her magic gun, they’d call. But for the time being, Wynonna was persona non grata.  
  
As she walked into the homestead, Nicole was greeted with the sweet aroma of pot roast. She sat her bag down by the stairs and went to the kitchen. Waverly was standing over the stove, singing quietly as she stirred something. She didn’t seem to have heard Nicole come in, so Nicole walked around the table and lightly put her hands on Waverly’s waist. “Smells great.” Waverly eased back into her, and Nicole snaked her hands the rest of the way around before adding, “Can’t wait for dinner.”  
  
“It’ll be another 20 minutes or so.” Waverly gave the gravy another stir before turning in Nicole’s arms. She gave Nicole a kiss before commenting, “You smell good too.”  
  
Nicole remembered Wynonna needed her outside. She made her apologies to Waverly and went back out onto the porch.  
  
“What do you need help with?” She asked.  
  
“We need more firewood.” This seemed like something Wynonna could have done herself. In fact, Nicole had seen her moving an armful of logs just a couple days ago. But Nicole resisted the urge to say anything.  
  
As they walked out to the woodpile, Wynonna said flatly, “So I never thanked you for helping with . . . you know. So anyway, thanks.’  
  
“You’re welcome,” Nicole replied.  
  
They arrived at the woodpile and both grabbed an armful. They were halfway back to the house when Nicole remembered the envelope in her pocket, which was another part of her crazy day. After they put the wood in the rack next to the house, Nicole fished the envelope out.  
  
“So I got a package today at the office. It looked like just a box of supplies. I couldn’t figure out why it was addressed directly to me, but then I found this inside.”  
  
She handed Wynonna the envelope. On the outside, it had a handwritten note that simply said “For W.”  
  
“I didn’t know what it was, so I opened it already,” Nicole said apologetically.  
  
Wynonna reached into the envelope and pulled out a handful of photographs. She slowly shuffled through them. They were all of Alice. On the back were handwritten notes – “2 days old,” 4 days old,” etc. You could see a pair of well-worn hands in a couple of the photos, presumably belonging to Gus.  
  
Wynonna said nothing, just started walking toward the barn. Nicole went inside and found Wavery, who was setting the table.  
  
“Dinner’s almost ready,” Waverly said cheerily. Her smile faded when she saw the expression on Nicole’s face.

“Nicole?”  
  
“I’ll finish in here. You need to go outside. Your sister’s headed for the barn.”  
  
Waverly nodded. She removed her apron, put it on the hook by the back door, and left the house without a word. Nicole finished setting the table, then sat down at the table and cried silently.  
  
After allowing herself a few minutes to grieve, Nicole went about making herself useful. She glanced out the window and saw the lights were still on in the barn. Nicole covered the roast and returned it to the oven to keep it warm, then did the same with the gravy. She added a few small glasses and a bottle of whiskey to the table setting. Then she started washing the dishes in the sink. As she was drying the last pan, the sisters came in through the back door.  
  
She exchanged a look with Waverly, who gave her a nod of appreciation. Wynonna sat down, grabbed the bottle off the table, and gave them all a two-finger pour. Nicole retrieved the roast and gravy from the oven and put them on the table. Waverly put a few rolls in a bread basket.  
  
Nicole complemented Waverly on the food, but otherwise they ate in silence. After cleaning her plate, Wynonna poured herself a second drink before asking, “You said that envelope was in a package?”  
  
Nicole swallowed her bite of food before responding. “Yeah, the return address is for a usual vendor of ours. We get stuff like evidence preservation bags, gloves, and booties from them. But the package was addressed directly to me, which was odd in retrospect. I didn’t think much of it until I found the envelope.”  
  
“What the name of the vendor?” Waverly asked, whipping out her phone.  
  
Nicole told her. Waverly tapped into her phone, pursed her lips. “I need my laptop,” she said, and dashed out of the room.  
  
Wynonna noticed Nicole’s whiskey glass was empty and gave her another pour.  
  
“You still have that special phone?”  
  
“Its locked in my gun safe at home.”  
  
“Good. I might need it at some point.” Wynonna took a sip of her whiskey. Nicole nodded in understanding.

“So I’m real shit at thank yous,” Wynonna said, as she ran a finger around the rim of her glass. “I owe you a better one.”  
  
“Wynonna, it’s fine.”  
  
“No, it isn’t.” Wynonna sat up in her chair and looked Nicole in the eye. “Thank you for helping get Alice out of here. I know it was a lot to ask, keeping it from Waverly and all, but I needed someone I could trust to get it done, with no mistakes.” She lifted her glass. “Nicole, you are top shelf.”  
  
Nicole smiled and lifted her own. They clinked glasses and drank together.

**Author's Note:**

> The inspiration for this fic was my curiosity about how Wynonna ended up asking for Nicole's help with The Plan. There's really no time for it after Nicole gets bitten, so I shoehorned everything within the events of 2x09 and 2x10. And obviously I made up a bunch of stuff! All typos and canon-related mistakes are my own.
> 
> My head canon for my own fic was that Jeremy intuited what Wynonna was planning to do and left the fancy phone out for her to use. (I'm curious what's up with his "powers.") But Nicole wasn't there so no scene.
> 
> If you're curious how I see things working out with WayHaught after the end of the season, check out my short three-parter, "I'll Make Hats." This fic and that one are generally consistent, though IMH is told from both Waverly's and Nicole's perspectives. Come for the angst, stay for the fun (in part 3).
> 
> And finally, my AU fic is on hiatus until January so I can get more writing done before it continues, but check it out if you'd like to see WayHaught fall for each other (slowly) in the the Big City!


End file.
